1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to covers. More specifically, the present invention relates to those covers which can automatically be extended from a storage position to provide protection for vehicles athletic fields, swimming pools and all surfaces which need protective covering against the elements.
2. Description of the Prior Art
From the earliest days man, in general, has contended with the elements. In summer the sun beating down on vehicles not only degrades the exterior finish of the vehicles but also spoils the interior and the contents. Rain, mud rains and hail dirty the vehicle surface, destroy grains and other crops spread out in the open to dry in the sun; permanently damage nursery plants and vegetable crops; and dirty swimming pools; and flood athletic fields including tennis courts and the like. During the winter, snow and ice cake on the vehicles, and aircrafts rendering them dangerous to operate; damage nurseries and vegetable plants by covering them to freeze, cover athletic fields and swimming pools temporarily putting them out of use. Tree leaves, dust and bird drops are constant threats in dirtying uncovered properties.
The military always have to contend with the problem of providing instant covering and camouflaging means for war vehicles, aircrafts, ships and other military hardware both against the elements and especially against enemy detection and attack. The conventional way, presently in use, is to paint these hardwares with camouflage colors or cover them with local leaves. This method is not only time consuming but also useless against the damaging effects of the elements.
To overcome the problems of protectively covering vehicles, car covers have long been known consisting of fabric or plastic shaped to the form of the particular vehicle. This cover may be stored in trunk of the vehicle in a folded state, and then taken out and spread over the vehicle to provide protection. Although such a cover does protect the vehicle from the elements, a number of drawbacks exist. First, the cover must be manually placed on the vehicle, manually removed and manually folded. Not only is this procedure time consuming, but also difficult for one person to manage, particularly with larger vehicles, aircrafts and ships. Furthermore, in winter, after a snowfall, it is necessary to clear the cover of ice and snow before it can be properly folded and stored.
To overcome these problems, automatically extending and retracting vehicle covers have been developed. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,134 to Mathis teaches a cover which is stored on a roller. The leading edge of the cover is attached to conveyor lines. When a motor is operated, the roller turns and the lines moved so as to draw the cover over the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
Several problems exist with the cover assembly disclosed in Mathis. First, the conveyor lines are directed simply by rollers. Thus, a tendency may exist for the conveyor lines to jump off of the rollers, particularly in winter when ice and snow may interfere with smooth operation. Also, although the Mathis cover might protect the upper surfaces of the vehicle, rarely does snow fall absolutely vertically, unaffected by wind. The Mathis cover provides no protection for the sides of the vehicle. Finally, if snow should fall while the cover is extended, it would be necessary to scrape the cover so that the ice and snow is not rolled in with the cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,688,513 to Poirier teaches a power operated vehicle cover that solves some of the problems of the Mathis cover, yet creates additional problems. Thus, Poirier teaches the use of flaps to protect sides of a vehicle. However, the flaps must be positioned manually, thus introducing some of the problems of fully manual covers. Also, although the cover extends automatically from a roll in the rear of the vehicle, it appears that no guides are employed to ensure that the cover proceeds properly from the roller. Finally, as with Mathis, if snow should fall while the cover is extended, it would be necessary to scrape the cover prior to retraction to ensure that snow is not rolled with the cover upon retraction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,581 to Guma, while teaching additional and improved functionality of Portable Automatic Carport, needs a number of improvements in some of the embodiments in order to make the device more useful in more areas where automatic protective coverings are necessary.
For example there is no snow and debris retaining means in order to eliminate the sliding off of snow and debris on to uncovered part of the vehicle while the cover means is being retracted into the storage housing. The use of two motors becomes unnecessary when only one reversible motor can accomplish the same function.
As the cover fabric is extended and retracted over the surface of the vehicle it scratches the outer finish and causes damage and deterioration to the vehicle. Whenever the vehicle is subjected to wet condition, it would be necessary to dry the cover fabric prior to retraction into storage housing or provide a means of draining any liquid inside the storage housing.
A number of other U.S. Patents, in addition to the three discussed above also describe vehicle covers. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,992,053, 3,222,102, 3,021,894, 1,999,171, 1,918,423, 1,912,231, 1,719,055.